Lt Governor of Puducherry has declared April 9 a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act in view of the election to the territorial Assembly that day.

An order of the Home Department of Puducherry Administration issued on Monday (March 23) said that the holiday has been declared for all government offices, institutions, local bodies, commercial and industrial establishments in the Union Territory (UT) to enable voters employed therein to exercise their franchise.- PTI

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has raised questions about the “apolitical” nature of actor Ramesh Pisharody, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate in the Palakkad constituency in Kerala, pointing at his statements dismissing protests in Kerala against the deaths in Gaza.

Union minister Sukanta Majumdar claimed that “rapid demographic changes” under the TMC’s rule in West Bengal could soon turn Hindus into a minority in several districts, making it “very difficult” for candidates belonging to the community to win elections in the future.

In an interview with PTI, the former state BJP president said the party has recalibrated its campaign after failing to come to power in the 2021 assembly polls and is now banking on strengthening booth-level organisation, pushing a more “Bengal-centric” narrative, and cleansing electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which he believes could alter the electoral arithmetic.

He framed the 2026 assembly polls as a demographic turning point for the state.

“The census has not happened yet, but Mamata Banerjee herself said Muslims constitute around 33 per cent of the population. It could be 33–35%. This percentage will increase in the next five years. After that, it will become very difficult for Hindus to win elections,” he said.

-PTI

Ramesh Pisharody, Congress candidate in Palakkad for the April 9 Assembly poll, on Monday said he would not respond in the same tone to senior CPI(M) leader T.M. Thomas Isaac’s remarks on fielding a comedian actor, asserting that he has “culture”.

Speaking to reporters in Palakkad, Mr. Pisharody said he was not willing to reply to a senior leader like Isaac at the same level.

Mr. Isaac, reacting to the UDF’s allegation that CPI(M) and BJP have entered into a deal in the Palakkad constituency, had said such claims were being made because the Congress had fielded a comedian instead of a widely accepted candidate.

“Congress, which ruled the country, has given the freedom to express opinions. We have the right to comment on others. Let him make his comments using that freedom,” Mr. Pisharody said.

-PTI

TMC leader Jyotipriya Mallick, once considered among West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted lieutenants in North 24 Parganas, believes a “record victory” in the Assembly polls would be his reply to “conspiracy that led to his imprisonment” in the alleged ration distribution scam case.

Mr. Mallick, popularly known as ‘Balu’ among party workers, told PTI in an interview that people’s verdict would be his answer to those who “tried to finish him off politically”.

“My victory with a record margin will be the answer to the conspiracy that put me behind bars,” the five-term MLA said.

The Habra seat in North 24 Parganas district has emerged as one of the most closely watched constituencies in the 2026 assembly polls, not only because Mallick is attempting a comeback after spending months in jail following the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the alleged ration scam but also because the BJP has turned the contest into a campaign centred around corruption allegations.

-PTI

Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir yesterday announced the names of candidates for various constituencies of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.

Addressing a gathering in Murshidabad, Kabir said that he will be contesting elections from Bhabanipur against CM Mamata Banerjee & LoP Suvendu Adhikari.

“In Rejinagar of Murshidabad, 154 candidates will contest in various constituencies across Bengal. I will be contesting in Rejinagar & Nowda Assembly constituency, and Punam Begam is contesting from Bhabanipur against CM Mamata Banerjee & LoP Suvendu Adhikari. Asif Iqbal is contesting in Berhampore. AJUP will contest in 182 seats in Bengal; the rest of the names will be announced soon,” he said.

-ANI

District Collector Anu Kumari and her team took part in a paragliding and parasailing event at Varkala on Sunday as part of the campaign to ensure maximum voter participation in Thiruvananthapuram district in the April 9 Assembly elections.

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A case has been registered against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State vice-president and party’s candidate in the Guruvayur Assembly Constituency B. Gopalakrishnan by the Guruvayur temple police for his alleged communal remark in a campaign video.

Sources said the case had been registered following the intervention of the Election Commission of India (EC). Acting on the instructions of Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar, the Thrissur District Collector initiated action against Mr. Gopalakrishnan for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

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As the 2026 State Assembly elections approach, the spotlight has shifted to the sitting Ministers within the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala.

The Cabinet includes 11 Ministers from the CPI(M) and four from the CPI, with the Kerala Congress (M), Janata Dal (S) which has since been merged with Indian Socialist Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress (Secular), National Secular Conference, and Kerala Congress (B), each contributing one Minister.

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For the first time in over five decades, an Assembly election in Kerala is unfolding without Oommen Chandy in the fray, a presence that had long defined the political rhythm of his constituency, Puthuppally, as well as the state.

The Congress stalwart’s absence is not merely electoral; it is deeply personal for many in this central Kerala constituency.

Nearly three years after his demise, a steady stream of visitors continues to arrive at his tomb at St George Orthodox Church near his ancestral home here, offering quiet prayers -- a testament to the bond he shared with ordinary people.

That emotional connection now forms a significant part of the Congress-led UDF’s appeal among voters across the state.

In the bypoll that followed his death, his son, Chandy Oommen, stepped into the political space his father had occupied for decades, securing the seat and, in the process, reaffirming the family’s hold over the constituency.

-PTI

With a fortnight left for the crucial Assembly polls, electioneering has gathered momentum in the district.

Ignoring the searing summer heat and humid climatic conditions, the candidates and their supporters are busily engaged in campaigning in all 14 Assembly constituencies of the district. Almost all the candidates were out in the field on Sunday (March 22), meeting voters and prominent citizens of the constituencies.

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The All India Trinamool Congress has fielded an Assam MLA who stirred a hornet’s nest by suggesting a Miya Museum at a cultural centre in Guwahati five years ago.

Sherman Ali Ahmed figured in the list of seven candidates announced by the Trinamool on yesterday. He is contesting from Mandia, a Muslim-dominated constituency in western Assam’s Barpeta district.

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The Election Commission of India is likely to publish the first supplementary voters’ list for poll-bound West Bengal today evening as part of the ongoing SIR exercise, officials said.

The list will be released in the same manner as the final electoral roll, with copies sent to district election officers and subsequently displayed at polling booths across the state, they said.

“The adjudication process has been extensive, and a significant number of cases, over 27 lakh, have already been resolved after due verification. The supplementary list transparently incorporates these outcomes,” an EC official said.

These 27 lakh voters were among 60 lakh who were marked as “under adjudication” in the final voters’ list published on February 28.

-PTI

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)leader Asaduddin Owaisi has announced that his party will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP).

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Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay yesterday announced candidates for all 30 Assembly segments in the Union Territory of Puducherry as the party is going alone to face the upcoming elections on April 9.

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